1. Field Of The Invention
The invention pertains to a universal incontinence device suited for wear by either males or females and which at the same time provides all the advantages for access to the male organ for normal urination. Normal urination for the male is provided by the modification of a disposable absorbent incontinence garment by the utilization of a slit or semi perforated opening extending through the layers of the disposable incontinence garment which slit is covered by a flap closure sealed to the outer surface of the disposable incontinence garment. More particularly the invention pertains to the utilization of a flap-like closure attached to the plastic or waterproof front surface of a disposable absorbent garment in combination with a slit or semi perforated opening.
In the preferred application of the invention the flap-like closure is sealed around all or part of its perimeter to the plastic or waterproof outside surface of the disposable incontinence device so that the flap-like closure can be opened from the bottom, top or sides to provide access to the perforated slit or semi perforated opening in the front side of the garment. The flap-like closure also preferably includes an outside surface of plastic or other waterproof material and an inside surface containing an absorbent material for absorbing any water or moisture coming through the semi perforated opening or slit of the disposable universal incontinence device. The flap and slit or semi perforated opening combination may also include means for spacing the flap from the slit to provide aeration of the interior of the garment without allowing body fluids inside the garment from exiting the novel universal incontinence device.
The universal disposable incontinence device may also include indicator means in the flap closure between the outside surface of plastic and the absorbent material for detecting moisture migrating through the slit or semi perforated opening in the front of the incontinence device to provide visual indication for both male and females of the necessity to change the universal incontinence device of the invention. The flap closure and slit or semi perforated opening combination of the invention serve multiple functions by not only providing an access opening for the lightly incontinent male or semi mobile male but also may be used as a means for providing a visual indication at the front of the garment of the necessity to change a wet garment in the case of a bedridden male or female incontinent patient.
The flap-like closure further may include a tacky self-sealing perimeter for assisting in the closure in the universal incontinence device after it has been used by the male for normal urination. The tacky self sealing perimeter may be used alone or in combination with the seal around all or part of the perimeter of the flap like closure. In the preferred embodiment both a heat seal to seal the flap to the plastic outer surface and a tacky seal for repeatable sealing of the flap closure can be employed.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The prior art includes a number of different types of diapers and undergarments for use by incontinent adults who may or may not be bedridden. The available devices come in a wide variety of formats including light pads or shields to be worn with undergarments to moderate devices which include a front and a back connected by a body fluid collecting center section which may be attached utilizing waist or hip straps for holding the garment on to a maximum security device which generally is in the form of a complete diaper or brief which is held together with side straps or tabs much in the format as illustrated in Strickland, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,461.
The problems with the known and available prior art devices stem not only from the psychologically debilitating effect of the garment but also from the environmental considerations resulting from the disposal of the vast variety and array of different types of incontinence devices. This environmental problem is further compounded by the fact that such disposable devices are changed and discarded more often than necessary since urination particularly by the male requires either total removal of the incontinence device or urination in the incontinence device which yields the same net effect, namely discarding the diaper in order to have it replaced by a fresh diaper or incontinence device.
The failure of the known prior art to provide for a means for access to the male organ by the lightly incontinent male or the partially bedridden adult has increased the disposal problems since many times garments are discarded due to the inability of the lightly incontinent male to obtain access for urination and the problems encountered in attempting to reaffix a strapped or tapped incontinence device after it has been removed. Generally it is so cumbersome to remove and replace a prior art incontinence device that disposal is the practical solution causing further problems to the environment. The invention in contrast to the prior art provides flexibility and psychological security to the incontinent male by allowing the lightly incontinent male or slightly bedridden incontinent male to utilize the universal disposable incontinent device of the invention as a longer lasting but ultimately disposable undergarment.
The provision for access allows the lightly incontinent or semi bedridden male to utilize the universal incontinence device of the invention more as a semi disposable pair of briefs which can be worn until disposal becomes necessary due to its becoming soiled with body fluids. The psychological advantages to patients are achieved by providing the option for normal urination while at the same time providing the security of an incontinence device which can be comfortably used by both males and females should assist in the reduction in the volume of discarded incontinence devices. These advantages are combined with more comfort in wearing the novel incontinence device of the invention by providing aeration to the interior of the garment by a means for spacing the flap from the slit or semi perforated opening. This in combination with the advantages of providing either a slit or a semi perforated opening in the undergarment covered by a flap closure having an absorbent back side and a waterproof front side allows the addition of absorbent indicators to provide the visual confirmation of moisture to provide additional advantages to the flap like closure for the bedridden incontinent patents.
The known prior art devices such as Strickland, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,461 provides for absorbent briefs or disposable incontinence devices to be held to the wearer's body by means of tabs for connecting the front portion and back portion. Strickland, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,461 does not provide access for the male to allow normal urination. Strickland, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,461 like the other prior art requires either complete removal of the brief in order to provide access to the male organ and which like the other prior art generally requires disposal of the brief after removal due to the difficulties in replacing and repositioning the article to the wearer's body.
Other devices such as Thorner U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,945 provides for a cuff-like pad or pocket for use with loose fitting mens' garments to collect body liquids for men. This device is not universal in that while providing access for the male the garment cannot be worn by both the male and the female. Sivilich U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,877 provides an undergarment shield for lightly incontinent males having two pads slidable in relation to one another and a longitudinal slit placed in a panel connecting the two pads. Sivilich U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,877 is not an incontinence device but merely is a pad for males and therefore is not a universal incontinence device which may be used by both males and females. However, more importantly Sivilich U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,877 imparts considerable bulk to the garment as a result of its arrangement utilizing two sliding pads or panels in order to provide access. The addition of pads or panels and additional bulk is not desired in an incontinence garment since the bulk makes access more difficult and results in greater bulk in disposing of the pads to the environment.
The prior art as a result does not provide a universal incontinence device that is both user friendly and environmentally friendly by providing a more normal access to the lightly incontinent or partially bedridden male while at the same time suitable for use for the female and for reducing the bulk of discarded incontinence garments in the environment. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a universal incontinence garment which may be worn by either men or women and which may be readily opened and closed to provide access to the male which is relatively simple to manufacture and which reduces the bulk of disposed garments to the environment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a garment which may be used for either the mildly incontinent patient or the bedridden patient which does not have to be removed by the male to provide access for normal urination and which provides comfort to the male or female wearer by providing aeration to the interior of the garment while preventing moisture from migrating out of the garment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an indication of moisture by allowing the migration of body fluids through the absorbent layers and through a slit or semi perforated opening in the plastic or waterproof covering of a garment to access a color indicator in the outside flap to provide a visual indication of the need to change the garment in either the male or female incontinent bedridden patient.
It is also a further object of the invention to provide a universal device that may be used by both males and females and not have to be removed and discarded until removal and discarding is necessary as a result of the garment becoming soiled with body waste fluids.